Mysterious Hexagonal Rocks of Kavadia Hills

 

The, Kavadia Hills in Madhya Pradesh is the home of many mysteries. On a trek in the forest recently, we stumbled upon a mysterious pile of hexagonal rocks in the middle of a thick undergrowth. Our local guide told us that the forest people believed it to be the work of the legendary Bhim who wanted to build a dam across the river Narmada. Narmada had agreed to be confined by his dam if he built it in one night. Bhim hewed the rocks all night to make these basalt columns , but a cock crowed before Bhim could stack them up, allowing Narmada to flow unhindered!

Geologists say that these basalt columns were made by the cooling of the lava of the Deccan volcanic activity 68 million years ago.

 

BADRINATH DHAM
 Nestling in the Himalayan foothills, Badrinath Dham is a place of worship which attracts millions of travellers from all parts of India.

WAYANAD< KERALA

 Kerala has many beautiful spots. Wayanad in the northern part of Kerala is famous for its scenic beauty.

Firespike blossoms in winter makes one feel warm!

 

Chappan Dukaan , Indore

Chappan Dukaan in Hindi means 56 shops. In Indore Chappan Dukaan is the place for delicious street food 

Pizzas, hot dogs and burgers stalls vie with momo, dosa and greasy stalls here, but the most popular are the chaat stalls which make mouth watering concoctions.

 Thadiandamol Peak in Coorg , India

This peak was used in the Great Trigonoical Survey of India,the first  survey of Indian subcontinent done scientifically. Started in 1802 by a British officer William Lambton, the survey started at St. Thomas Mount in Madras (Chennai). Thadiandamol peak was one of the points of the Survey.

THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD `

The road from Shimla to Kalpa in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh is rightly known as the "Most Dangerous Road" in India. On one side is the towering Himalayan peaks and on the other is the deep ravine of the river Beas. The constantly curving road becomes most dangerous to drive during the apple season in August- September, wen apple loaded trucks come from the apple orchards of Kalpa in a long cavalcade.

Palash- the tree which heralds the spring

 

Justly called the Flame of the Forest, the Palash is mentioned in the Ramayana written by Valmiki Rishi 2000 years ago. It is a small , crooked tree, which grows throughout the Indian subcontinent.

The Palash leaves are woven into disposable plates by village folk. The tree loses all its leaves in spring and becomes resplendent with flame coloured flowers. The flowers are used to make colours to use during the Holi festival in India. During this festival, people sprinkle coloured water or dry powdered colours on their friends and relatives and exchange sweets.

There is also a yellow flowering Palash, which is rarely seen. Known to botanists as Butea monosperma, the Palash belongs to the Pea family. It is a very resilient tree and can tolerate drought, fire and water logging. It is called Muttuga in Karnataka and Dhak in MadhyaPradesh.

The lac insects breed on the Palash trees.A cottage industry produces shellac, a natural varnish, by breeding these insects on pollarded Palash trees.Strong, thick ropes are woven from the fibre of the bark. These ropes are used by river boats. 

Sarnath, the place of the Buddha's First Sermon

 The Bamian Buddha which was destroyed by terrorists has now been recreated by the government of Thailand in Sarnath near the holy city of Varanasi.

 A bell erected by the Devotees of Sri Lanka

The place theBuddha gave his first sermon. Unfortunately, it is no loonger freely accessible to visitors as it is guarded by the police.

Sacred Groves of the Western Ghats

 Wanting to visit a sacred grove in the thick forests of the Western Ghats, we started trekking from the nearby tribal village. The trail lead us through deeper and darker jungle.

 Beautiful wild flowers dotted the forest floor.

It is taboo to take anything away from a sacred grove except photographs. Even a dead tree is not cleared- it will turn into humus in due course and replenish the soil.

Leeches started affixing themselves to our feet! Our guide had carried a packet of salt, which he sprinkled on the leech. Soon it fell to the ground. In these jungles it is advised to apply neem oil to your foot before venturing. The leeches obviously hate the taste of the oil. You are also advised to wear sandals because leeches can get into your shoes and create havoc.

The sacred groves have been protected and looked after by the local villagers since hundreds of years. They contain most of the native trees some of which are really old. New species of flora and fauna are constantly being discovered by scientists in these groves. In February this year, a mysterious frog which is seen only for 4 days in a year was discovered by scientists.
The forest department also conserves the sacred groves.

Salt of the Earth

The river Aghanashini flows unimpeded through the thick rain forests of the Western Ghats before she joins the ocean. The tides make her water saline at the estuary, where salt has been harvested for hundreds of years. This salt known as Sanekatte Salt, is prized by naturalists and Ayurveda practitioners because this salt is believed to contain special medicinal properties as the river flows through the herbs of the forest.

Rare Beauties of the Western Ghats

 The Kaemferia shown above has a spicy scent. It is hidden in the underground all through winter and comes to life in the beeginning of monsoon season. No wonder it is called the 'Resurrection Lily'. Its local name is Nela Sampige. The tubers are used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Aerides orchid shwn above is another harbinger of the monsoon season. It is known as the garland made by the mythical queen Draupadi when she had to spend 12 years in the forest. Unlike Sita, who made long garlands, Draupadi did not have enough time to make lengthy ones.

Garden denizens

 It has been unusually rainy this year. The monsoon rains have not yet stopped, although they usually are over by mid September. Butterflies make the most of the sunny days.

 I was so glad to see a frog in the garden. Hope he will not become a juicy meal to the snakes which roam in the afternoon!

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.

Exploring Caves

 Now that all the 12 boys and their coach have been rescued from the cave in Thailand, my thoughts turned to the various caves I have visited.  The Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh is one of the most beautiful ones I have visited. Although it is dark in some places, it is lighted by sunlight streaming through the crevices in some.

 Thereis a constant rickle of water in a particular spot, beyond which visitors are not allowed.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.

Himalayan Skies

You can never be sure when it is going to rain while trekking in the Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas. Fortunately for us, it was fine most of the time. The rugged path becomes too slippery when it rains, making walking a challenge.
My thanks to Fiona at Skywatch Friday.

Monsoon Magic

Monsoon is the time when India gets rainfall. It is a time of joy for everyone, in spite of the muggy weather. It is also the flowering time of some plants and the mating season of some creatures.

 The painted ginger which flowers during the monsoon season is a valuable medicinal plant. Its leaves are used in the treatment of diabetes. Most people know it as "Diabetes Plant".

The frogs keep up a serenade to their mates through the night.

 The Butterfly Ginger has a heady scent. It opens in the night to attract night flying moths.

This beautiful butterfly is called an "Eggfly". The male has these egg like parkings, while the female is not so attractive.
After years of drought, the monsoon has stated with a bang, and most rivers are full. The waterfalls of the Western Ghats are attracting thousands of visitors.
My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.

Orange is the Colour

 The rains have started early this year and the plants and trees are bursting into flower now. The predominant colour everywhere seemss to be orange this season.

 I don't know the names of the two flowers above, though they are blooming in my garden.

 The early rains seem to have hastened the mating season of butterflies.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.

My Garden in the Dry Season

 March and April are very dry and hot in this part of India. Water lilies seem to like this weather.

 The light blue floers look cool in the heat.

A moth is resting on a ruella.
Many thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.

The Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas

  

I have always been fascinated by the Himalayas, which I visit every year. These are some of the photos of the abundabnt wildflowers in the Valley of Flowers where I trekked in August 2015.

 Innula with a bee.

 The valley- when you trek farther, you come to the grave of the British botanist Joan Margaret Legge, who lost her balance while trekking and died.

 The blue poppy in its natural habitat.
Many people are daunted by the rather difficult trek into the valley and come away without seeing any flowers. Some others expect a flower show like the tulips of Amsterdam !The Valley of Flowers is a naturalist's delight.

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My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.